'Dear me,' said Lady Pennyroyal, anxious to change the conversation, I had quite forgotten the Marjorams all this while. There they are on the terrace. I really must go and speak to them.'

Yes, there they were on the terrace, the Marjorams. After that curtain lecture and his outbreak, old Marjoram slept better than usual; he felt freer, and as if for once he had asserted his independence. But as for Mrs. Marjoram, she was worse than usual next morning, feeling, perhaps, that her reign of terror was threatened. So Mr. Marjoram suffered at prayers, at breakfast, and at luncheon. Last of all, Mrs. Marjoram was late for the 2.5 train, because she would not have luncheon a little earlier than usual, and so they had to go down by the 4.45 train, with all the stockbrokers who live on the line, and all the horse-jockeys who live on the races. There was, therefore, a great rush of snobs and blackguards, and ' respectable people,' as Mrs. Marjoram designated her husband and herself, suffered accordingly. However, they got down to Ascot, only nearly an hour late-' very good going,' as the guard saidand the only dreadful thing that happened was that Mrs. Marjoram's big black box had to be left behind at the station, because there were neither flies, nor trucks, nor porters to take charge of it.

'If you were a man,' said Mrs. Marjoram, you would take it up on your back, Mr. Marjoram, and carry it for me to Ouzelmere. That's what you ought to be willing to do on an emergency like this.'

'But, my dear,' said Mr. Marjoram, 'I say with Shakespeare, "I dare do all that doth become a man;" but no man can be expected to carry on his back a box that weighs two hundredweight.'

'Mr. Marjoram,' said Mrs. Marjoram, like a vinegar-cruet full of Chili vinegar, so sharp was she- Mr. Marjoram, how often have I forbidden you to shock my feelings by quotations from plays and playwrights? It is all very fine to say you can't carry my box— which, after all, is not so heavy-but how, I should like to know, am I to dress for dinner without my amber satin ?'

'I am sure I can't tell,' said Mr. Marjoram stoutly.

'Mr. Marjoram,' said Mrs. Marjoram, now lashed into fury, 'I insist on your taking up my box and carrying it! When I married you, I thought I had married a man.'

And when I married you,' said Mr. Marjoram, with unpardonable rudeness, I thought I had married a wife, but I have found you a tyrant.'

Take up my box!' shrieked Mrs. Marjoram.

6

'I'll be hanged if I do!' said Mr. Marjoram. Suppose one of the false prophets had said to any one, "Take up your bed, and walk," do you think the mere order would have enabled him to do it ?'

'Do you compare me to a false prophet?' said Mrs. Marjoram.

'I don't know what to compare you to,' said Mr. Marjoram ; but I shall first leave this box in charge of the station-master, with orders to send it up to Ouzelmere as soon as he can, and then I am going to walk to Ouzelmere, and if you don't choose to come with me, you can stay behind.'

Mrs. Marjoram stared at her husband as though she could not believe her ears, but she said nothing; and when Mr. Marjoram returned from his interview with the station-master, she followed him like a lamb.

You may well all of you stare, as much as Mrs. Marjoram,-a you wives and husbands who have hitherto only known the henpecked Marjoram. Yet so it was; the last grain had been heaped on the camel's back, and, instead of breaking it, the camel had kicked and thrown off the whole load, and asserted his independ

ence.

What passed between that pair, as they plodded down the line to the private entrance to Ouzelmere, no one can tell. Some changes are only known by their results. By their fruits ye shall know them.' As for Mrs. Marjoram herself, you all know she was of that school which delights in sudden conversions-in a great blaze of light pouring into the heart, and enlightening it in the twinkling of an eye. She was not naturally a bad woman, but long habit and her husband's easiness had turned her into a tyrant. She had grown to be intensely selfish and domineering without knowing it, as is the very nature of selfishness to fancy it is making great sacrifices; and so it is, for it is offering up all the rest of the world on the altar of its own conceit. But now Mrs. Marjoram had found her master, and acknowledged him. She had at last roused that sleeping tyrant which lies in the heart of every lord of the creation, and had to confess, nay, confessed it willingly, that she was a wife, and not a ruler, in her husband's house.

So it was, that when Lady Pennyroyal went to the Marjorams, and hoped they had got down safely and without trouble, Mr. Marjoram said rather gruffly,

We had no trouble till we got to the station, and there, I am sorry to say, we had to leave our luggage behind.'

'Yes,' said Mrs. Marjoram very meekly; but it was all my fault for bringing so big a box. Mr. Marjoram's portmanteau might have come well enough, but no truck could carry my monster.'

Pray don't say anything more about it, my dear,' said Mr. Marjoram. It was as much my fault as yours. Besides, there is always trouble at railway stations during the races.'

Lady Pennyroyal looked from one to the other in great perplexity-it was so unusual to hear Mr. and Mrs. Marjoram agreeing in anything. But it was no part of hers to take any notice of this strange fact, so she only said:

'I do hope your box will come after all.' Then, with her usual kindness, she added, 'As we came here to enjoy ourselves, I think, for to-day at least, we will not have any dressing for dinner, and then it won't matter whether your box comes before dinner or not. If it hasn't come by ten o'clock we will send two of the servants down to the station to bring it back, or, at any rate, to see that it

comes.'

'Thank you so much, dear Lady Pennyroyal,' said Mrs. Marjoram; and then she and her husband set out for another turn in the grounds.

I never saw such a change in my life,' said Lady Pennyroyal to herself. They're just like Alice Carlton and Edward Vernon. How glad I am that match is settled!'

'And is it all right, Alice dear?' said Florry Carlton to her sister when they got upstairs.

'Quite right, darling,' said Alice. I have even told him that papa and mamma quite approve of it.'

'Happy girl!' said Florry. And what did he say?'

'Very little,' said Alice, very little; but he was very pleased, and—and—I sha'n't tell you what he either said or did.'

'Happy girl,' repeated Florry, to be engaged to the man you

love.'

And you, Florry darling?' said Alice.

'Don't ask me, Alice,' said Florry; but for all that, in two minutes Florry told Alice all that had passed between Harry Fortescue and herself.

'I can't understand it at all,' said Alice.

'Nor can I,' said Florry. He was so nice up to that Saturday morning, and then all at once his manner changed.'

I wonder if Lady Sweetapple has anything to do with it,' said Alice.

Of course she has,' said Florry; she's like idleness in the copy-book-the root of all evil.'

It looks as if she had Harry in her power, by his being down here,' said Alice, who did not know that Harry had come down for no other reason than to oblige Edward.

'Yes,' said Florry savagely- yes; and then taking him out for a walk in Swinley. Of course she meant to walk with Harry, and poor Edward was to stay behind or go before with that old goose, Lady Charity. It is as plain as day; but, thank Heaven, we stopped all that, and she had to listen to sugar-beet instead. I'm so glad she was disappointed.'

And so am I,' said Alice, for whose satisfaction at having met Edward so unexpectedly we might coin a new word. If Amicia Sweetapple was disappointed,' as Florry Carlton said, then Alice was appointed' at being engaged to Edward Vernon.

They are coming to luncheon between the races to-morrow, you know,' said Florry.

'Perhaps Harry will be in a better temper then,' said Alice. No, I'm sure he won't,' said Florry. He will never be in a good temper so long as he is with that odious woman.'

'But if he's always in a bad temper when he is with her,' said Alice, don't you see, dear, he's not likely to propose to her; for men never propose to any one when they're in a bad temper.'

'We shall see,' said Florry; in a day or two we shall all be wiser.'

Then the Ouzelmere gong sounded-for of course Ouzelmere had its gong like all respectable country houses-and the sisters went down to dinner, and saw Mrs. Marjoram, not clothed,' but in her right mind,' as Florry profanely said.

During dinner Lord Pennyroyal was very genial. Perhaps he was pleased at his cousin Marjoram's quiet victory over his domestic tyrant; perhaps he thought he should now have a willing listener to his denunciation of rabbits and praise of sugar-beet. Whatever it was, he was very pleasant, and even seemed to understand, what some people never will see, the difference between colloquy and soliloquy; he not only talked himself, but he allowed others to talk. When dinner was over, they all walked round the grounds of Ouzelmere; and in spite of Amicia's declaration that the Berkshire nightingales could not sing, they did just hear a few late birds 'jugjugging' in the sultry summer night.

Then Alice pressed Florry's hand.

'Ah, if Edward were only here to listen to it too!'

'Silly child,' said Florry, why not be content?

You have had nine-tenths of your way; will not that satisfy you? I have not even one-tenth.'

No! It is hard when Love cannot have his tithes. He ceases to be a god, and to be worshipped.

O, but you know,' said Alice, drawing still closer to her sister, 'you know it is so sweet to have that last tenth, that all the rest seem as nothing till one gets it. I can enjoy nothing now without Edward.'

'And I nothing without Harry,' said Florry; and yet I have no hope of having him. Compare your case with mine, and be

thankful.'

At the same time Mr. and Mrs. Marjoram were sitting in an arbour, looking up at the stars; and to hear them talk one would have thought they had changed skins with Colonel and Mrs. Barker, such a loving pair they seemed. But we have no time to tell what they said; the fact must suffice.

As for Lord and Lady Pennyroyal, they too walked about lovingly, and looked up at the everlasting stars. In spite of his

stinginess Lord Pennyroyal was a fine fellow, and, as we have told you, capable of great acts of generosity, though his daily life was defaced by the profession of meanness. And so they too were

happy, for Lady Pennyroyal was very fond of him.

And after they had thus gazed and talked in pairs for an hour, Lady Pennyroyal called them in to go to bed.

'We have a hard week before us,' she said, ' and we must go to bed early and rise early.'

6

CHAPTER LXIII.

THE FIRST DAY OF THE RACES.

NEXT day was Tuesday, the first day of the races, and, according to the description of the newspapers, the royal meeting' began under the most favourable auspices.' The weather was gloriousa bright hot sun, tempered with a refreshing breeze. Of course there was dust. Races or no races, there is no day without its dust at Ascot. Dusty the heath is, and dusty it will remain, till the last man is turned to dust himself. There was the royal party and the red liveries, the gay toilettes and the fair faces in the Enclosure. A large attendance, free from the horseplay and vulgarity of Epsom. Such was the Ascot meeting of 1870.

Of course Lady Charity and Amicia had a box. It is ten guineas cheaply spent; and from that box they were able not only to see the races themselves, but to let their friends see them. The first thing that the party from Heath Lodge saw, as they were crossing the dusty road to the entrance to the race-course, was the Pennyroyal party plodding along, through a cloud of dust and a string of carriages, for the Grand Stand, in which every eligible seat had been long since seized and occupied.

Haven't you got a box?' asked Lady Charity of Lady Pennyroyal. But before the question could be answered Lord Pennyroyal struck in,

'No, we have not; I really cannot afford it. It is bad enough to take a house at a ruinous rate without having to take a box besides. I like to be free to move about.'

'If Lady Pennyroyal and the rest of the ladies would come into our box at once, I should be so glad,' said Lady Charity.

Dear thing, she was determined to ask them, in spite of the black looks of Amicia.

Lady Pennyroyal looked at her husband, who said at once,

O, if Lady Pennyroyal wishes it I have no objection. I daresay Marjoram and I will be quite happy walking about on the green.' 'What do you say, Mrs. Marjoram ?' said Lady Pennyroyal. 'I will go where Mr. Marjoram goes.'